Guns that utilize compressed gas for firing projectiles are well known. Often these guns are used to discharge projectiles called "paintballs" which have a fragile gelatin or plastic outer coating and a liquid interior. The gelatin or plastic coating normally breaks on contact with a target.
Compressed gas guns are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes and have different types of internal mechanisms or actions therein. Such guns are typically powered by compressed air, carbon dioxide or nitrogen. The internal mechanism or action is housed in a receiver of the gun. A magazine for holding a plurality of paintballs is connectable to the gun. Such guns are furthermore provided with an elongated barrel which extends from the receiver and from which the projectile is discharged, and a trigger housing connected to the receiver. The trigger housing carries a trigger mechanism including a manually operated trigger for controlling the discharge of projectiles from the gun. A handle or grip is releasably connected to the trigger frame for facilitating carrying and aiming of the gun.
One common version of a compressed gas gun is a pump-action type gun. With this version of gun, manual cocking of an internal mechanism or action is an essential step that is required to prepare the gun each time a projectile is to be discharged therefrom. The internal mechanism of a pump-action type gun is manually cocked through a pump handle mounted for manual reciprocation along a lengthwise portion of the barrel. The manual pump or handle is suitably connected to the internal mechanism of the gun.
As is well known in the art, the internal mechanism or action of a pump-action type gun includes a myriad of mechanical components which cooperate with each other in response to sliding movement of the pump handle. More specifically, the internal mechanism of a pump-action type gun usually comprises a bolt, a hammer, a hammer spring, a valve tube, a valve spring and other related components. The reciprocating or back and forth sliding action of the pump handle causes the bolt and hammer of the internal mechanism to move within the receiver of the gun.
When the pump handle is slid rearwardly, the bolt is also moved rearwardly and opens a direct feed port in the receiver. Accordingly, a projectile is permitted to gravitationally drop from the magazine into the gun. The rearward sliding movement of the pump handle also moves the hammer into a cocked position. When the pump handle slides forwardly, the bolt of the internal mechanism moves therewith to position the projectile in the gun. When the bolt is fully closed, a front portion of the bolt seals the direct feed port and positions the projectile in the bore of the barrel ready for firing. Manipulation of the trigger causes the hammer of the internal mechanism to release frown its cocked position thus allowing compressed gas to pass through the internal components and forcibly discharge the projectile therefrom. The internal mechanism of the gun needs to be manually recocked before another projectile is ready to be discharged from the gun.
In contrast to the pump-action type gun, compressed gas paintball guns are also available in a semi-automatic gun version. In general, the external components of a semi-automatic type compressed gas gun are similar to those of the pump-action type gun. With this version of compressed gas gun, however, the internal mechanism is automatically cocked and the projectile is discharged from the gun simply by operating the trigger rather than having to manually cock the gun every time a projectile is to be fired therefrom. The internal mechanism or action of a semi-automatic compressed gas gun differs from that associated with a pump-action type compressed gas gun. That is, in a semi-automatic compressed gas gun, the internal mechanism or action is designed such that the cocking action of the internal mechanism is effected automatically without use of a manual pump.
Pump-action type compressed gas guns and semi-automatically operated guns each have advantages in different situations. Accordingly, different people prefer one type of compressed gun over the other. On the other hand, it is possible that some people would like to own both types of guns. As will be appreciated, however, the costs of owning a compressed gas gun can be quite high and owning more than one gun is even higher. To attempt to convert a pump-action type compressed gas gun to a semi-automatically operated version has drawbacks associated therewith. That is, convening a pump-action type gas gun to operate as a semi-automatic gun normally requires replacement of many of the component parts of the internal mechanism or action to compensate for the inability of a manual pump-action gun to cock itself. Such attempts at conversion may furthermore require machining operations and other material alterations to the gun. Of course, such material changes to the gun could prevent the gun from being returned to its original pump-action type configuration.
Thus, there is a need and a desire for a kit that allows a pump-action type compressed gas gun to be converted to a semi-automatic type gun without having to change the internal mechanism or action of the gun and without having to materially alter or perform machining operations on the gun to effect such conversion. Moreover, the conversion of the gun should be reversible such that the gun can be returned to its original pump-action type configuration.